Unprecedented times
Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter. We will be focusing on resources that you may find useful as you continue to work in challenging circumstances. There is so much information around that it was difficult to keep the newsletter to a manageable size so we will produce this newsletter on a more regular basis. If you'd like to contribute to the next edition please forward an article to hello@imago.community.
The local response
It is heart-warming to see the rise of informal volunteering as communities come together to support the more vulnerable. Individuals are linking to organise support for the elderly and those who are self-isolating. Platforms such as NextDoor and Facebook have helped as have local and parish councils.
We have listed some of the schemes on our website. If you know about a service that is operating in your area that you’d like us to promote please let Fiona at Imago know – mailto:fiona.cottingham@imago.community.
Our latest Volunteer Centre newsletter was distributed this week. It is available to view here. It includes an advert for the NHS Volunteer Responders service although we did have to point out that they asked for 250,000 NHS Volunteer Responders to help relieve pressure on the NHS and they got 750,000!! Recruitment has been paused and they are asking anyone who is still interested to wait a few weeks until they can start processing new applications.
Kent Together
A 24 hour helpline has been set up to support vulnerable people in Kent who need urgent help, supplies or medication. The helpline – called Kent Together – provides a single, convenient point of contact for anyone in the county who is in urgent need of help during the Coronavirus outbreak. It is a collaboration between KCC, central Government, District, Borough and local councils, the voluntary and community sector, the NHS, emergency services and other partners to ensure help is at hand for vulnerable people. It is also the place to report your concerns about the welfare of someone else. The new central helpline will link to Community Hubs across the county.
Kent Together is being coordinated by Kent County Council which will feed the information through the network of volunteers, district and borough council teams and local support groups, to ensure people get the support they need, when they need it. People’s needs will be assessed and staff will liaise with Community Hubs in the districts to prioritise those who need urgent help.
If you are vulnerable and have an urgent need that cannot be met through existing support networks, you can contact the Kent Together helpline at www.kent.gov.uk/KentTogether or by calling on 03000 41 92 92. It is a 24 hour service. Kent County Council also has a page on its website answering frequently-asked questions and the very latest Coronavirus information on its service updates page. Visit www.kent.gov.uk to find out more.
#Kenttogether
Care Hotel at Salomons and Assessment Centre at Tonbridge School
In response to COVID 19 and working with Kent County Council, the NHS and Hilton Nursing Partners a care hotel is being set up at Salomons Estate Hotel in Tunbridge Wells. Its 47 bedrooms will be used by the NHS to provide respite and free up valuable beds in hospitals. Food and drink donations are now needed - if you can help please email AthollCraigmyle@hiltonnursingpartners.org.uk.
Tonbridge School is giving over part of the school site to an appointment-only NHS Assessment Centre. The drive-through facility, based in the car park at the Tonbridge School Centre, will be used by NHS workers to assess patients from the Tonbridge Primary Care Network (Warders, Hadlow, Hildenborough Medical Group, Woodlands and Tonbridge Medical Group) for Covid-19 symptoms. All patients attending are required to have talked to a GP, or to have telephoned NHS 111, prior to coming to the centre, and this service is by appointment only.
The Tunbridge Wells Scrubbers
We have been approached by Rebecca Pointer who is volunteering in Tunbridge Wells with a local group called ‘The Tunbridge Wells Scrubbers’. They are part of a nationwide team making scrubs, masks and hats for our NHS staff, GP’s and Care Providers. There is a very big demand for these extra uniforms at this time of crisis and whilst isolating at home, it is a nice thing to do. She says it keeps them motivated and makes them feel like they are still helping/doing something to help win this fight against COVID-19.
They need more coloured or patterned cotton duvets or sheets. If you have any to donate contact Rebecca Pointer by email rebeccapointer@me.com. For more information have a look at their Facebook page to see the efforts happening up and down the country to support this effort: facebook.com/groups/1500699350098765/?epa=SEARCH_BOX.
News
Campaign for support for charities - #EveryDayCounts
A number of charity sector membership bodies have come together to lobby the government for more support under the #EveryDayCounts banner. They are asking the government to provide emergency funding that will keep charities and non-profits of all sizes alive and enable them to continue to serve their communities. They are lobbying hard for a support package for VCS organisations - alongside that we are pointing out the ways in which the support for businesses does not work for many VCS organisations.
Stephen Doughty MP, has led the charge in asking government for vital financial support for charities and voluntary organisations, and announced on Twitter on Tuesday 31 March that over 300 MPs and Lords across 10 different parties have signed the letter to Rishi Sunak, Oliver Dowden and Diana Barran, demanding action.
We are being asked for a list of charities which will be in significant financial difficulties within the next few weeks if the chancellor does not act to support the work of the sector.
It is vital that the government has the full picture of the difficulties our sector is facing. All of those leading the campaign are asking you to tell them about the operational and financial situation you are experiencing right now. Email tell@ncvo.org.uk to feed into this and follow the campaign on Twitter using #EveryDayCounts. In addition many are writing to their MPs, telling them how much financial pressure the voluntary and community sector is under. NAVCA have a template on its website for organisations to use. Click here for the template.
Watch NCVO CEO Karl Wilding give evidence to Parliament's Committee on Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, explaining why charity matters and what a gap there will be in people's lives if charities vanish.
The Furlough option
This guidance sets out the process to claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. It explains who is eligible and how much you can claim to cover wages for employees on temporary leave (“furlough”) due to coronavirus (COVID-19). It is an option that has had sizable take-up in the sector. For example Barnardos has furloughed 3,000 staff.
There is a very important and relevant paragraph which states that if you're receiving public money to cover staff costs you cannot furlough those staff even if you can't deliver the work. This information is detailed under section ‘Who can claim’ and under the sub-heading ‘Public sector organisations’.
Reminder: Covid 19 – cancel VAT direct debit
If you’re a UK VAT registered business and have a VAT payment due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, you have the option to defer the payment until a later date or pay the VAT due as normal. The deferral for VAT payments applies from 20 March 2020 until 30 June 2020. All UK business are eligible and this will generally mean the deferral of one quarter’s VAT This is a temporary change to help businesses manage their cash flow. The deferral of Value Added Tax payments for the quarter until June 2020 means that this does not have to be paid to HMRC until March 2021. Organisations with direct debits to pay VAT to HMRC should cancel these immediately otherwise the money will be deducted automatically as the Treasury confirmed that it could not cancel them unilaterally.
Useful resources
There are lots of useful resources around. Here are some of them:
Charity Commission guidance to help with running your charity during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This includes consideration of whether your charitable objects allow for your charity to offer support, how you can get support to pay staff and whether you can use reserves and restricted funds to help your charity survive the crisis.
There is guidance about which medical conditions make people extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. An example of the letter sent to the most vulnerable people can be seen here.This could be shown to staff and volunteers so they can assist people to take up the offer of help: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
Children’s Emotional Wellbeing
These websites are recommended by the NHS for children and young people’s emotional wellbeing:
Apps: StayAlive - This app is a suicide prevention resource, with lots of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. You can use it if you are having suicidal thoughts or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide. This is free to download from the app store or Google Play. https://www.kmpt.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/stay-alive-app-helping-people-in-kent-and-medway/ Calm Harm - This is free to download from the app store or google play and is designed to help resist the urge to self-harm. Self-Heal - This is free to download from the app store or google play and is to help users resist the urge to self harm, includes a visual distraction library and promotes recovery. Stop, Breath & Think - Short guided meditations, breathing and acupuncture exercises suggested for your current emotions. Sleep Pillow - Various sounds and mixes to enhance relaxation and sleep 7 Cups - Offers anonymous text chat with trained listeners available 24/7 as well as other helpful advice and activities
Supporting our mental health Mind has put together some tips for line managers about how they can support their team’s wellbeing as well as their own while working remotely or from home. The government has published new guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes how you can connect with others during this time, helping those around you, looking after your physical wellbeing and managing your media and information intake. You can read the guidance here. Finally, a new 24 hour service for anyone in Kent or Medway in need of mental health crisis support (for all age groups) went live earlier this month (1st April 2020). Support is now available simply by texting the word “Kent” or the word “Medway” to 85258.
Model homeworking policies
Brodies solicitors in Scotland has produced a homeworking policy specifically for temporary homeworking by employees, workers and contractors. Barrister Daniel Barnett has allowed his model homeworking policy for employees to be used free of charge for your own organisation or business
(https://www.policies2020.com/homeworking).
Sandy Adirondack has adapted the homeworking policy to be suitable for volunteers, and is distributing it through her free legal update email service for voluntary organisations (legalupdates@sandy-a.co.uk). This model policy is free to use for your own organisation.
Source: Sandy Adirondack
Free Supplies through www.givingworld.org.uk
Giving World is a registered charity. They redirect new business end-of-line and discontinued stock to the most deprived communities in the UK. They provide free of charge clothing, food Items, toiletries, cleaning and household products so the most vulnerable people in our communities can stay safe and well.
COVID-19 presents us with one of the greatest challenges we have seen during our lifetimes. However, during this difficult time Giving World remains committed to supporting people in crisis by providing their service in the time of their greatest need. They understand the need in our communities will grow and will continue to service their partners and your beneficiaries’ needs, whilst following all the latest government guidelines for employee and volunteers’ safety. If you are not already registered to access free of charge business surplus stock, you can do so here: https://www.givingworld.org.uk/charity/ or you can contact Louise on 0116 251 6051.
Supermarket vouchers for children who get free school meals
Parents of children eligible for free school meals will begin getting weekly supermarket vouchers to try to help them through the coronavirus shutdown, ministers have announced. The government has acknowledged that the closure of schools was “dramatically affecting the lives of many families” and has introduced this new measure in a collaboration with major supermarket chains including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s. Schools will provide vouchers to families electronically - with parents showing codes on their phones at supermarket titles - or as gift cards for families without internet access.
Imago News
Message from Imago about COVID-19
I wanted to update you on how we are continuing to support the 26,000 people who use Imago services in light of the challenges we are all facing regarding the risk of COVID-19. This includes Young Carers and their families, children with disabilities, adults with complex needs and isolated older people.
We are adapting the way we work to keep our clients, our volunteers and our staff as safe as we can. We may be offering our services in different ways but we are still here to help you. Our Hub teams are able to take your calls and emails and answer any questions you may have. You can also speak to your usual Imago contact who will be happy to help.
We are following the Government and Public Health guidance and continually reviewing how we deliver our services during this difficult time. We’re all in this together.
With best wishes,
Caroline Shaw, Imago Chief Executive Officer
Support Imago
You can help the 26,000 people who look to Imago for support. They include Young Carers, children with disabilities, adults with complex needs or isolated older adults.
We are facing a reduced income due to our charity shop having to close for now, fundraising events being cancelled and people not able to pop coins in our collection tins.
There are many different ways you can make a difference:
Starting a Facebook fundraiser for us. Raise £50 and you could fund a 2 hour session for 12 disabled children; £200 funds an outdoor activity day of respite for Young Carers; £25 pays for refreshments for a 12 week programme of social groups to reduce isolation over activities, tea and chat.
From all of us a huge THANK YOU! We need your support more than ever.
Funding News
Coronavirus Emergency Funding
There are a number of very helpful lists of the emergency funding that has become available including:
Charity Bank’s guide The Charity Excellence Framework Civil Society
The CAF Coronavirus Emergency Fund is a rapid response fund that will offer one-time grants to small charities, organisations and social enterprises affected by the impact of Covid-19. This fund is open to registered charities, community groups, social enterprises and other organisations with a charitable purpose that had a turnover of less than £1 million last year. The funds are to enable them to carry on their vital work as the crisis unfolds. Organisations in the UK with charitable activities can apply for up to £10,000 to support day to day activities in the current health emergency or your Covid-19 emergency response activities. You can apply for unrestricted funding for core costs, staffing, volunteer costs, supplies and equipment, communications or other critical charitable areas. As this is a rapid response fund, CAF aim to make payments to selected organisations within 14 days of application Find out more and apply here.
National Lottery Funders
The National Lottery Community Fund has published a statement on its funding approach in response to Covid-19. Flexibility will be provided to existing grant holders and funding decisions over the next 6 months, around £300m, will be devoted to addressing the current crisis. Read more here.
Sport England and the National Heritage Lottery Fund have both launched funds to support grantees affected by the coronavirus crisis.
Sport England, which normally invest more than £250m of National Lottery and public money each year, has announced a package that totals £195m. This includes a £20m emergency fund and £55m to fund new ways of keeping people active.
It has also said it will be flexible during the crisis. Sport England has published more details on its website.
National Heritage Lottery Fund has launched a £50m emergency fund. Grants of between £3,000 and £50,000 will be available to organisations that have received funding in the past and are either a current grantee, or still under contract following a previous grant. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has published more information about its grants on its website.
Arts Council England - Emergency Fund Open
Groups working within the arts and culture sector can apply for grants of up to £35,000 to continue their work. Grants of up to £2,500 are available for individual artists and freelancers. Round 1: Open 9 April - Deadline 13 April Round 2: Open 16 April - Deadline: 30 April
Apply now via their website.
Sevenoaks Town Council agreed a £30,000 Community Resilience Fund for grants to voluntary groups helping the Community cope with COVID 19. Contact council@sevenoakstown.gov.uk.
Funders are being flexible
Many funders have followed the London funders and are offering flexibility for those with existing grants. They will consider letting you adapting activities – you may experience difficulties achieving some of the outputs or outcomes agreed for your grant during the outbreak. You might also be able to negotiate a change to reporting deadlines and have the financial flexibility to use your funding to help cover sickness, purchase equipment, or deliver services differently, and may need to move money between budget headings to ensure your work can continue. They encourage charities and community groups to speak to them to agree a way forward.
What's On
Tonight - The Show Must Go On!
There's a new broadcast happening every Friday evening, streaming west end musicals. Tonight's musical is Andrew Lloyd Webbers Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It starts at 7 pm. The YouTube channel is called the show must go on! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLeErO8nXsc
National Theatre
Thursday night could become National Theatre night, as the company announced plans to broadcast some of its most popular productions for free during the lockdown. The new two-month National Theatre at Home programme began with One Man, Two Guvnors, the Richard Bean comedy starring James Corden. The films will be shown at 7pm every Thursday to try to recreate, where possible, the communal viewing experience. They will then be available on demand for seven days.
Sources include: Action Planning, Charity Commission, KCC Inside Track, DSC, NAVCA LINX, NSPCC, NCVO, Small Charities Coalition and Bates, Wells and Braithwaite. If you would like to submit an article or provide feedback on the newsletter please email Wendy McGeachy at Imago – wendy.mcgeachy@imago.community.
Contact details for Imago
Our head office is located at 17-19 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells – 01892 530330 - and we have project delivery offices in 10 locations across Kent, Medway, East Sussex, and London (Bexley, Havering and Southwark).
